Attachment for bowling alleys



J. FEKETE vA'IUIACI'XMENI' FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed June 2, 1924 Patented Feb, 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES JULIUS FEKETE, OF NEW YO'RK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT FOR BOWLING ALLEYS.

Application led June 2,

To all whom t may concern.' Be it known that I, JULIUs FEKETE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city ofNew York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Bowling Alleys, of which the following is a specification. The present invention relates to improvements in attachments for bowling alleys, and has for its main object to provide a simple and inexpensive device for attachment to the return trough of a bowling alley for removing dust and dirt which may adhere to the balls, at the ,same time 'retarding the balls as lthey are returned to the players stand. j

Another object of the invention is to provide adevice of the character mentioned which is simple in construction, eiiieient in operation and capable of manufacture on a commercial scale, or in other words one which is not so vdifficult tojmake as tobe beyond the reasonable cost of such a contrivance.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will `more fully appear as the nature of the'invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accom- 'panying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of the return track of a bowling alley with the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment, also on a larger scale; and Fig. 4C is a section taken on line 1 -4 of Fig. 2, on a still larger scale.

In the drawings, the numeral indicates the return trough of a bowling alley, on which both ten-pin and duck-pin balls are adapted to roll. This trough comprises a. pair of spaced parallel rails 1l, to the 1924. Serial No. 717,265.

outer vertical faces of which is attached, adjacent the players stand, a ball cleaning and retarding device 12. The ball cleaning and retarding device is in thc form of a tunnel for the balls, it comprising an outer hood 13 of substantial length, the same being for the most part cylindrical in shape and, preferably, made of cardboard. This hood is lined with a cleaning surface 14, that may consist of a fur piece, having its fur libres 15 directed inwardly, or it may be in the form of a sheet, carrying inwardly directed tufts or bristles, as the case may be. The cleaning surface may be attached to the hood in any suitable manner, for instance by rivets 16, or by detachable fastening devices. To the outer face of the hood 13 are secured by some of the fastening devices 1G, adjacent both ends of the said hood, open metallic rings 17, one purpose of which is to keep the hood in shape. The edges of t-he fur are covered all around by binding strips 18, preferably, of cardboard, some of the fastening means 16 passing through these binding strips. The tunnel so formed is secured to the outer vertical faces of the rails 1l. There are two securing means mounted upon each vertical rail, each consisting of a metal clip 19, one end of which abuts against the rail and being attached thereto, for instance, by screws 19', passing into the said rail. The clip is then bent outwards as shown at 20, running then in parallel relation to the rail, as indicated at 21, it being then bent back upon itself at 22, the backwardly extending portion 23 being spaced from the portion 21 and running parallel thereto. Through the portion 23 extends a. hole 24;, in alignment with a screw-threaded hole 25 in the portion 21. The pair of clips on each rail are spaced apart a distance which corresponds to theY length of the hood 13, they being arranged in opposing positions so that, when the hood and the elements thereon arc inserted between the portions 21 and 23 of the said clips, they will not only be held against lateral movement but also against longitudinal shifting.

Each of the open metallic rings 17 is provided adjacent each end with a vertical row of holes 26, which are punched also throughout the cleaning surface and the 'adi jacent binding strips 18. These holes are arranged in such a manner that they may be brought into alignment with4 the4 registering holes y24k and 25 in the clips. Forholding the tunnel in position upon the clips, screws 27 are provided, having for instance knurled heads 28, so that they may be screwed home without the aid otspecial tools. These screws extend through the holes 24 in the clips and through-the lleles 26 Yin .the metallic rings, their threads boing engagedtwith the threads offthe holes 25 in the clips, and then screwedi home. The

metallic rings 17 fare ,provided ,adjacent their Vends with a roiv oiholes, in .order yto permit the size of the tunnel to gbe varied so that the ball and retardingldevice-may be nsed not only vvfor tenfpin-:ballsbutalso or-duck-pin balls. The tunnel isfgurther- .more madefad'j-ustable to eXertthe proper 4retarding eifect ontheiballs, and. also to compensate l'for swear of theeeleaningele nient.

.Freni vvthe tere/ going it appears 1in-at the ldeviceis of such nature that it'can be readily applied toftheordinaryf trough o'fa bow-ling alley and jte any portion 1 thereof, Y that is to; say eithertoe,theelewated portion-29 adjacent-the buffer postlO or :thefinelined `portion loftheitroi-,ifglL ln tact,iit may thetuts,ibe1S orbriistlesi-ion the cleaning surface, when the size of the hood is to be adjusted on l thetrough.

Vhat I clainris l. The combination with a bowling alley return tronghincluding two spaced parallel rails, of aL set of two lclips secured to each `rail,a,lz1ood extending through said clips,

and co-acting means on said hood and said cli-ps for adjaist-ably fastening said hood to said rails;

2. rlhe combination with bolwlingal-ley returni trough including two, spaced, parallel frailjs, of e a e set. `of two loppositely disposed olipsasecnred tot each rail, 'a hood extending through said ':lips,-anrdcoracting means-on said hood Yand said elipsifor `a-dgustably fastening said hood to tsa1,d-;-ra1ls.

3. .The combination with airbowlngalley `returntroifigh ineladingtwo spaced parallel rails, ofna set oitwoc-lips secured toeach mail, Yayhoed extending througheaid cli-ips prerided with vertical row ef :helesffn zen'erative relatien yt0 eaeli elip, .fand e olanipinggsorew on each Vclip,- adapted tobe ,engaged with any member 'Ofthe respective rowofholes; in sai-dhood. Y

4. In a device according todelalinihfthose portions of Esai-d clips through which said hood` extends being spaced from said rails.

5. :Ima clevieeeeeerding te elaimi3,the.se port-ions effsaid Veline ,through which said hood` extends 1b-eilig .spaeed frem said 'Signedat New York, in `)the L'countyI of New York, and State of New York, vthis 20th day of `May, A'. (AD. ,14924.

JUIiIUS ,'FEKETE. 

